a little understanding
by unperfectwolf
Summary: heat fic! where Max is not an uberbitch and Alec is hearts.


**a little understanding  
By** unperfectwolf  
**Rated** R  
**Fandom, pairing:** Dark Angel, Het: Max/Alec  
**Summary:** heat fic! where Max is not an uberbitch and Alec is hearts.  
**Disclaimer:** lies and slander.  
**Notes:** 1,300 words. for caithream, for Christmas, because, well: "HEY YOU KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS CAN GET ME FOR CHRISTMAS. Really porny Max/Alec fic. Cuz in fic Max is not an uberbitch. AND ALEC MAKES ME 3_3" 'nough said. also, happy New Year, yall. title by toby keith . . not as really porny as anyone probably wants, but jesus het fic is hard to write. Also, there is almost 11k written that is the aftermath of this night. So.

**a little understanding**

Max thought maybe she was feeling twitchy because she hadn't slept the night before. Not sleeping wasn't really all that unusual for her, so she wasn't sure what was so different about this particular day, but she brushed it off as just another side effect of her lovely DNA.

Halfway through the day, though, Max was more than annoyed with how she was feeling. She wasn't just twitchy, either, but unsettled and feeling caged in. Even powering all the way across the city on a hot run hadn't helped her at all.

It wasn't until she got home that Max finally figured out why she had been so anxious. She took a shower, despite there being no hot water, but found that it didn't help the feeling of being overheated. That was when it hit her—heat, something she had been without since her return to Manticore.

She hadn't recognized the signs before because they hadn't been normal. She wasn't sure what made everything so different, but if she had to hazard a guess, it would have been something to do with the other X5s.

She got herself out of the shower and into a pair of sweats and a tank top, which were loose enough to not aggravate her now oversensitive skin. She paced from her room into the main room and into the kitchen, then retraced her steps. Like all of her heats before, she felt caged and unruly and ready to do battle. Unlike before, she had a goal. It was shadowy at the moment, but all she knew was that the guys lifting things out of the truck half a block down didn't interest her.

Something else was out there, was calling to her. She didn't know what it was yet, but she was sure it would become clear with time. She didn't really_ know_, but somewhere in the back of her mind, her instincts were saying that whatever she sought would come to her.

She knew the minute that he came within a block of her. She didn't know if she smelled him or just sensed him, but long before she heard his near-silent approach down her hallways, she knew he was coming.

He didn't bother to knock when he got to her door. She was waiting for him, standing in the middle of the room, when he opened it. There was a light in his eye that she hadn't seen before but knew instinctively.

"Alec." Her voice was throatier than it'd ever been, hoarse with the desire that her heat provided and with the restraint of actually standing that far away from him. She knew now what she had been looking for—he was standing right in front of her.

Something in her was holding her back, though. Despite how much she wanted to go to him, she _knew_ that she had to wait for him to come to her.

"Max." His voice made her shiver. It was half growl, half groan. She nearly whimpered in response, but she ground her teeth to keep it in. "If—" He paused and licked his lips. His eyes never left her. "You'll hate me when this is over, if we do this."

Max's emotions whirled at his statement. Something in her cried out at the near-rejection, telling her to say _whatever_ it took to keep him there. But something else in her told her she had to tell the truth, or she'd lose him forever.

It was almost a full minute before she responded. She could see that the silence had made him tense up, but she _had_ to make sure what she said was precisely what she meant and not words fueled by heat-saturated emotions.

"I won't," she told him finally. "I promise. I just…" She paused again, unsure as to how to put the whirlwind of instincts into words. "It's _never_ been like this, Alec. I've never been able to ignore other guys or make myself wait for them to come to me. I don't know what's happening." She felt like she was being torn into pieces, her emotions all over the place and her instincts pulling her in circles. Alec wasn't very helpful, standing in the doorway, so close but still out of reach. She whimpered at the thought, not able to hold it back.

That turned out to be just what Alec needed, and the next instant, he was in front of her, one of his hands cupping her face and the other on her waist, pulling her against him. "We'll figure it out," he promised right before he kissed her. His hand on her face slid back into her hair, and she melted against him, every bit of her screaming out just how right this was.

She didn't know what happened or how it happened, but the next thing she was aware of was her back hitting the wall next to her door and Alec's body covering hers completely. She moaned, deep in the back of her throat, her body singing at the feel of him, even through all their clothes.

He kissed her again, but fleetingly. Even though she whimpered at the loss, he trailed kisses down to her neck. Something in her made her tip her head back, baring her throat to him. He growled lowly, nipping softly at the soft underside of her jaw.

She shuddered, gripping at his shoulders. She'd never felt like this before, especially not in heat. When she had been in heat before, she'd been in charge, forceful even. Here and now, she didn't make a move to do anything but hold Alec close, content and willing to let him do whatever he wanted.

They worked their way into the bedroom eventually, clothes being left in a long trail to the bed. Alec pushed her down onto the bed when they finally made it there in nothing but their underwear. He shucked off the last of his clothes before he crawled on top of her, leaning down to nuzzle her neck and shoulder when he settled.

He'd been talking to her off and on the whole time, telling her how gorgeous she was, how soft her skin was, how good she smelt. He trailed kisses down from her shoulder to her breast, then across her stomach. She arched into his fingers as they explored, her eyes shut and her head thrown back. She didn't know how to react to the way she felt.

Eventually, she couldn't help but tug at his hair, guiding his face back up to hers and pulling his mouth down to hers. "Alec," she breathed out against his mouth. "Please." His eyes bore into hers, swirling emotions that she'd never seen directed her way before.

He didn't say anything as he complied, causing her to let out a high-pitched whine. Her arms wound around him, her fingers gripping his back as he took her. She shuddered around him, confused by all that she was feeling, and kissed him.

She lost track of time there, unsure as to how long and how many kisses it took until they reached completion. She was breathing hard when she came back to herself, almost panting. Alec was holding himself above her on his elbows, watching her with a pleased expression on his face, and she couldn't help but kiss him again.

She'd never been with one of her own before, so she was unprepared for him to be able to begin again as soon as he did. He rolled her onto her side, holding her from behind, teasing her with his hands before he gave in to her pleas.

Finally, though, they slept. Sometime in the night, they rolled together, her head pillowed on his chest and his arms holding her close.

She'd never slept so soundly.


End file.
